Last week, I felt a small, pea-sized lump in my left armpit. At first I just figured it was an ingrown hair from shaving, or maybe a plugged duct from sweating (I just played 20 volleyball matches over the weekend in a tournament), but then I started getting worried about the other possibilities a lump in the armpit magnifies itself as.
I Googled, "lump in left armpit" and was immediately regretful.
Leukemia, Hodgkins lymphoma, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and breast cancer are just a few of the big guns that returned with my search.
Some other possibilities was a breast or arm infection, cat scratch disease, lipoma (harmless fatty growth), allergic reaction, or misdirected breastmilk (I am slowly weaning my 15 month old).
But, because of those first four causes that I listed above, panic set in.
The only reassuring factor that made me believe it truly was an ingrown hair, or plugged duct, is the fact that the lump was painful when I pressed on it. Pain is generally not associated with cancerous lumps.
So, I decided to sit and wait for a few days and see if the lump changed in size. As the days went on, the lump got smaller and smaller, instead of larger. Phew.
Here I am, four days later, and it is gone. Nothing came of it. Thank goodness. But, it was definitely a reminder of how grateful I am for my good health. Nothing puts things quite in perspective as a health scare.
4 comments:
True that. Glad it turned out to be nothing.
I'm glad your lump went away-I know from expirience how terrifying they can be! I noticed in my own life I get lumps like that when I'm fighting off a sickness or get too overtired.
P.S. I'll teach you to free-form quilt, if you can teach me to free-form cook!?!?
glad you are okay...that would be scary! And I love your new layout! So fresh and fun for spring.
That is scary! I'm glad it turned out to be nothing. My parents had a medical dictionary and as a kid I would pour over it to see what kind of things could go wrong and I'd always skip to the worst scenario first. I may have been a slightly paranoid child, but I also think it's just part of human nature to worry about our health. I think it's a good thing that you are aware and on the look out.
Post a Comment